Dunham Garden and Orchard

The Dunham garden and orchard was created in 2009 and was my first permaculture project. I began an annual vegetable garden in which I experimented with lesser known crops such as, sweet potatoes, orach, quinoa, amaranth, and more.

I began collecting perennial crops including fruit bushes, fruit trees, nut trees, perennial vegetables, and medicinal plants. Over the years, I have imported plants from across North America, creating a genetic bank from which I can multiply new plants and breed new varieties. Many of these plants have turned out to be very hardy and well-adapted to our climate. Some of these varieties are now available to the public through my nursery. Click here for more information.

Through the project, I also started working with support species, which serve many functions including fertilizing other plants, attracting pollinators, and improving soil fertility and structure. Examples of some of the support species that I grew include comfrey, Jerusalem artichokes, absinthe, and echinacea. In addition, I developed my own green manure seed mixes. These support species mixes quickly green and beautify the areas in which they are planted while providing an edible and medicinal yield.